10 Things I Didn’t Expect in Early Retirement

[Happy Friday! Please welcome today, a good blogging bud of mine, ESI from ESIMoney.com. He recently retired at 52 and gained a whole new appreciation for what life has to offer. And spoiler alert: it doesn’t involve money or a high-powered career! Both of which he retired from once he realized enough was enough (his “enough,” btw? $3 million :)) Take it away, ESI!]

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When I retired last fall at 52, I thought I knew exactly what retirement would be like. Many of the expectations I had did come true, but there were several surprises as well.

Today I’ll share my revelations in hopes those of you considering early retirement might be better prepared for it.

#1. Mondays Became the Best Day of the Week

Monday was my archenemy for decades.

I worked as a marketing executive for 28 years, many of them in high-pressure jobs. The sinking feeling would start about 4 pm on Sunday — dreading the work week to come.

Then Monday would hit and it’d be the low point of my week. Each day got better than the previous one until we hit Friday. It was all great from there. Until Sunday at 4 pm again.

Now, Monday is my favorite day of the week. It signals the beginning of five days of peace and quiet. The gym is less busy, the stores are less busy, restaurants are less busy, everything is less busy — because people are at work. It’s quiet, and I like it.

#2. My Colleagues Can’t Accept I’m Retired

There’s a whole host of reactions you get when you retire early. Most of them are quite comical because people are literally stunned. This is especially the case when you’re a C-level executive (or higher), and you retire during your most lucrative decade of earning power.

I expected people to be a bit shocked, but I didn’t foresee them constantly pushing new jobs at me like I needed to work or my life was over. Colleagues after colleagues send me new job openings all the time now. I have more recruiters than ever even connecting on LinkedIn and forwarding me job listings (some are pretty good actually!).

Even people I just meet aren’t satisfied with my retirement.

I had coffee the other day with a friend of a friend because the original friend said we should meet. The new guy spent the whole time brainstorming how he could help me find a job. Ugh. I feel like an unmarried, 30-year-old woman whose Jewish mother keeps pushing bachelors her way so she’ll get married even though she doesn’t want to be married.

#3. I’m Busier than Ever

When you work 50+ hours a week for most of a career and have a family along with personal interests, you’re very busy. Life is hectic. That’s just the way it is.

I expected things would calm down dramatically when I retired, but I now seem to have more to do than ever.

The difference is that I went from doing things I HAD to do, though, to doing things I WANT to do. Which makes all the difference in the world.

Still, I’m swamped.

I’ve been ramping up my blog writing (which is quite fun and gives me a creative and intellectual outlet). I started working out at a faster pace. I developed a plan to climb Pikes Peak this summer. I got involved in more aspects of planning my daughter’s college career. I started helping my son find his life calling. I dramatically upped my video game playing time (from virtually nothing to an hour or so a day at the present time (Horizon Zero Dawn FTW!!!)). I joined a non-profit board that helps the homeless. And I’m planning several trips with various members of my family.

On and on it goes. Most of the things on my to-do list simply move to the next day’s undone.

I was one of those people who used to think “What will I do all day in retirement?” I then moved to “I’ll find things to do”, so I made the leap. Now, I’m wondering, “How will I get it all done?”

But I am doing what I want, which makes this a “fun busy”. So I don’t mind.

#4. I’m In The Best Physical Shape of My Life

I started working with a trainer about 18 months ago. Up until retirement, I had made tremendous progress. I added 20 pounds of muscle and dramatically improved my cardio conditioning (which has always been good.) As a result, I almost completely eliminated back issues that I had for over 20 years.

I thought I’d continue on the same pace during retirement, but the freedom of time and lack of stress has really taken my workouts up a notch.

In addition, since I’m at home more, I can control better what I eat — which has always been my weak spot as it’s so hard to eat well at the office (at least for me). They say being in good shape is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. I so wish the percentages were reversed!

When I was younger, I could work out and eat pretty much whatever I wanted. No longer. As I gained that extra muscle, I didn’t lose much fat, so my weight went up (even while my waist size shrunk).

After retirement, I decided to get serious about eating well. I went high protein and low carb. Since the start of the year I have lost 16 pounds of mostly fat. In addition, I was given my third cardio test and my VO2 max was in the “excellent” range for my age. It was so good that it’s even in the “good” range for a 20-year-old.

Who would have thought my best physical years would be after 50?

#5. I’ve Gotten Very Comfortable Wearing Casual Clothes

I’m not going to say I have always been an uptight dresser. Let’s just say I was always dressed for the occasion. I like to look nice and professional whether at work, church, or even out shopping. I’m not wearing $1,000 suits by any means, but I like to be dressed “nicely” wherever I go.

Cue the workout pants. You know, the baggy, comfortable ones similar to what basketball players wear during warm-ups? They refresh my soul.

It took me about three days to go from button-down Bob to casual Clyde.

Do you know how comfortable workout pants are? Answer: VERY comfortable. These are for colder temperatures. Do you know how comfortable shorts are? Answer: VERY comfortable. These are for warmer temperatures.

Both are accompanied by a t-shirt and/or a Columbia thin pullover depending on the temperature.

These are now my clothing wear of choice. I haven’t donned even a pair of Dockers more than twice in eight months (I did wear a pair to a funeral, however). I’ve gotten to the point where even putting on jeans feels like I’m “dressing up”. And they just aren’t as comfortable as I like.

We even joke at my non-profit board meetings that I dress up for them by wearing my “nice” workout pants or shorts.

But what do I care? I don’t have anyone to impress.

Consider Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and the like. No dressing up there. They don’t (didn’t in Jobs’ case) care what they are wearing, they just want to be comfortable. And while I don’t have billions like they do, I am financially independent and can wear whatever I want.

Much different than my pre-retirement days…

#6. My Family Relationships Are Much Better

I assumed that retirement would give me more time with family, but I didn’t know how meaningful and far-reaching this time would be.

Here’s a sampling of the impact so far:

My wife and I take two 45-minute walks a day now (we live in Colorado, so even much of winter is walkable). It gives us lots of time to connect and talk. Great for our relationship.

I developed a reading plan for my son to help him discover what career he wants. We discuss each book and his notes on it. He’s also my Tuesday movie buddy (half-priced tickets!) since we like the same kind of shows.

My daughter and I go out regularly to eat (we both like Mexican), shop (she’s hooked on Bath and Body Works), or have coffee. We talk a lot about what she wants to do with her life, what to expect in college, etc. She’s totally prepared. We’ll be taking her senior trip to Seattle and Portland this summer and I’ll be dropping her off at college in the fall.

I have been able to see my parents a few times since retirement — way more than the twice-annual visits we had before. In addition, my dad will be coming to see us in June.

I was able to re-connect with my cousin on one trip to see my parents. I had the time (of course) that I never had before, so I asked if he was available. He was and we had a great breakfast. It was awesome!

I was able to attend my Aunt’s funeral, and even be at the hospital right before she passed. Having a job would have not afforded me the time (or at least as much time) for either of these.

In addition to helping connect with family, being retired has allowed me to connect with friends. I attended my college reunion last fall and got to see my three best friends from that time. I would have NEVER spent a week doing that had I been working. And I hadn’t planned on it even once I retired, but the new, more relaxed, me thought “what the heck!” and I went. So glad I did. I’ll be headed back to college homecoming this year too!

This is probably the most rewarding part of early retirement for me and completely unexpected. It’s been a great surprise.

#7. I’m Learning and Growing More than Ever

Retirement is the time to kick back, down-shift, and relax, right? The time to coast on all the work we’ve done up to this point, similar to the Falcons in the second half of the Super Bowl? (Oh wait, that didn’t work out so well)

Well, let’s just say that coasting is not for me. I’m pushing forward more than I ever have and am loving it! I am learning and growing in ways I completely didn’t expect.

Some examples:

I’m reading more than ever. The library and I are on a first-name basis. I’m there several times a week. I’m reading on personal growth, fitness, blogging, and a whole host of non-fiction topics. I also have time to read fiction and am catching up on John Grisham’s stuff, as well as a Batman graphic novel here and there.

I’m learning from YouTube. You can find videos on how to do anything these days. Now that I have time, I’m learning how to cook (especially grill), how to do simple repairs around the house (I’m not “handy” yet, but I’m getting there), how to travel hack (still a neophyte but learning), and on and on.

I’m heading up Pikes Peak. I told you I’m planning on walking up Pikes Peak this summer. So I’m learning about the physical challenges (and training accordingly), the equipment, weather, etc. It’s a blast to learn new things as well as have some big, physical challenge to look forward to.

I’m planning loads of travel. My wife used to handle most of the travel planning, but I’m now becoming the expert. This year we have trips planned to Seattle, Portland, back to Iowa (where I’m from), Dallas, and, the crowning touch, a month in St. Thomas early next year. There are various decisions to make, and of course I want to make the trips as great as possible, so I’m doing lots of reading about each place and searching for great deals.

I’m consuming podcasts. As I train for Pikes Peak, I’m walking a lot. Some of that is alone, and when I walk alone I listen to podcasts. I’m learning about a whole host of topics, plus getting lots of input on financial issues that keep me sharp. I really look forward to this time each day.

I’m playing chess. I now have time to do daily chess puzzles, play chess, read chess books, and even watch chess videos. I know some of you are close to falling asleep simply reading that last sentence, but chess thrills me. The strategy and complexity gets my juices flowing.

I’m interested in a lot of things, and now I have the time to learn about them too. I thought I would have some time for this, but the amount and diversity of learning has really surprised me.

#8. I Can’t Go Back To Work Anymore

When I retired I thought I’d only take a year or two off, but would then likely go back to work at some point — even if just part-time. After all, I was a high-power executive and work was what I did!

Now I can’t imagine ever going back.

If I did, I’d hate Mondays again. I’d have to dress in something other than comfortable clothes. I’d miss the time with family and friends. I’d have to cut back on fitness and learning. I’d have to live by a schedule. That all sounds like a colossal pain in the rear now.

I’ve since eased into my new normal, and I love it.

#9. The Stress is Gone

We all hear about stress and how it impacts our health, and so forth. But having lived with it for so long, it was normal to me. I didn’t realize just how much it was impacting me.

Sure, every once in a while I would realize my temples were tight and my jaw was clinched while laying in bed. I’d try to relax my facial muscles and could for a bit, but even trying to fall asleep, the tension would come back. It was the stress of work.

Once I retired, I could literally feel the stress melt away. It was that tangible. I was destressing after 28 years of constant pressure.

It took several months to go completely away (it was that bad!), but I eventually got to a low point of stress I never thought I would reach. I started sleeping better. My head wasn’t tight all the time. Life was more relaxing overall.

I was surprised at just how noticeable it was. Something that simply was there for most of my life, is now almost nonexistent.

#10. I’ve Turned Into a Morning Person

There are morning people, and there are night people. I have been a night person my whole life. My ideal world was to stay up until 3 am and get up around noon. Not bad, right?

But I had to go against that grain during my career. Most companies expect you to roll in well before noon, so I was up early every day and I hated it.

I didn’t think I’d sleep to noon every day once I retired, but I did think I’d sack in until at least 9 or 10am.

Nope. I’m now up and at ’em by 6 am most days. Sometimes I’ll got to 7 am if I had a really hard workout the previous day or stayed up late the night before. But that’s rare. I can’t remember the last time I slept until 8 am. And I’m certainly up more days before 6 am than after 7 am.

The big difference now, though, is that life is so much more exciting.

I’m getting up to do things that I want to do. It’s a blast — almost like the night before Christmas. I’m excited about the next day and simply can’t sleep longer.

Plus, the working out and lack of stress helps my sleep to be more restful, so I feel better with less sleep now than I did with more sleep while working. (But don’t worry that I’m robbing myself. I’m a regular 10 pm to 6 am sleeper, so I still get eight hours most nights)

My kids think I’m crazy (“why do you get up so early?” they ask) but that’s what happens when you are excited about life.

My wife has always been a morning person, but I’m now up an hour or so before her each day. It’s so quiet and peaceful at 6 am and the day is full of promise. It’s my favorite time of the day. 6 am on Monday is heaven.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the reason I started waking up at 5am every day! The peace is unparalleled! And as ESI mentioned, it’s far easier to do so when you get to do things for YOU than for others :) You can read about the other things I learned too when first starting this schedule here if you’re new to the site: What I Learned Working Like Benjamin Franklin For a Week]

So those are my ten surprises from early retirement!

I’m only nine months in so I’m sure I’ll find many more in the months and years to come, but hopefully I’ve given you a good glimpse into what retirement is like.

If you have any questions I’d be happy to answer them in the comments below.

Otherwise, I’ll see you at the gym on Monday morning at 7 am. :)

******ESI is the founder of ESI Money, a blog about achieving financial independence through earning, saving, and investing (ESI). It’s written by an early 50’s retiree who achieved financial independence, shares what’s worked for him, and details how others can implement those successes in their lives. You can learn more about him, and get his free ebook, here: Three Steps to Financial Independence.

10 Things I Didn’t Expect in Early Retirement was last modified: April 5th, 2017 by Guest Writer

Congrats on the early retirement. I’m a FI seeker, but have been hesitant to add the Retire Early into my goals out of uncertainty about how I’d spend my time. I love hearing you are busier than ever. If I do retire early I think my goals would be similar to yours: get physically healthy, spend time on relationships, and work on the blog. Awesome stuff, thanks for sharing!

Wow, that was insightful. I’m still quite a long ways away from my early retirement but anxiously pursuing it. Right now its still just a golden ideal looming in the distant future so I haven’t spent too much time thinking about what it will really be like and what I’ll be doing. So it’s nice to hear about the reality of it and all of the awesome benefits that I have to look forward to. Thanks for sharing and congratulations.

I would love to start waking up earlier and at least do some morning cardio. I did try it last year was getting up at 6am instead of 7am. The only problem is my kids wake up as soon as they hear an adult’s footsteps so it made about 0% difference. Maybe Ill try it again, kids have got to start sleeping in at some point.

Haha yup… I used to just walk out the door with them when they were babies/toddlers and found going for a walk made me less cranky than trying to entertain them when the whole house was asleep :) The healthy activity was just a bonus!

I would respectfully submit that this is only possible above a certain income level/set of circumstances. My husband is 16 years older than I. He took an early retirement buyout at 60. I was not able to quit my job, and I work from home. He didn’t jump in to any projects, and it was difficult to work as hard or harder than ever when my partner was not. He was off for almost a year, after having a pillar of the community job for 17 years. Nobody knocked down his door, and he found out who his friends were. And weren’t. The stars aligned and he got a job with the city, and now we’re back to being able to plan a reasonable future. Your experience is wonderful, and I am glad you are living it. Please realize that not everyone, especially in today’s slow-growth economy and changing job environment, has the luxury of your hard-earned result.

That is true and I do realize it. Some people are in situations where they just can’t get ahead. I also realize this is a small part of the population. Most of the people who say they can’t get ahead simply don’t want to take the steps needed to get ahead.

My results took me about three decades to achieve. It took hard work at growing my career and discipline to keep spending under control, so it wasn’t easy. I worked very hard at growing my net worth for a long time.

Many of my friends who started where I did (lower middle class upbringing) are still at that level because they didn’t do what I did. It wasn’t because they didn’t have the opportunity (many were better off than I was at the start). It’s that they didn’t take the same steps. And not earning a high income wasn’t their biggest issue — out of control spending was/is.

Even friends who I met later in life (those I talked about in point #2 above) who had incomes similar to mine don’t have close to the net worth I do — since they didn’t take the steps I did. I know this because they have confided in me. These people actually have large incomes but again, can’t control their spending. So they make little progress.

I say the above not to boast, but to make the point: it’s not all about having a high income. I wouldn’t dismiss my results simply because it’s “only possible above a certain income level/set of circumstances.” To a very great extent, you make your own circumstances. And there are certainly things you can do to grow your income.

So, yes, the higher the income, the more chance you have to accumulate wealth. This is why I write so much about growing your career/income — it can make a HUGE difference. But even if you don’t have a very high income, there are certainly steps you can do to have a life like I describe above. After all, looking over the ten things it seems like they don’t really cost a lot, right?

I retired at sixty, similar net worth. My experiences match yours except I am working about twenty hours a week at four side gigs that are intellectually complex but much easier than my career was. However I avoid working on Mondays or Fridays. I make about 100% of our living expenses though I do not need the money. I do like the feeling of earning though. I do more volunteer work than you but since my kids are grown and not local I have more time. My wife and I distance run and play on competitive tennis teams, fish, hike and ski together so we are also pretty fit. All in all I find life time be very very good at this stage. And like you I’m surprised at how busy I am! I think the only secrets to retiring well are having a good life partner and having enough savings.

Thanks for sharing ESI. I love #3 and #6. So great to be busy doing the things you want to do and building great relationships/memories with those important to you. Much better than sitting in a meeting!

ESI, great to see you hanging with J$! Great post, and reassuring for me given that I’m 14 months away from my FIRE date, and think alot about what life will be post-FIRE. You’re post was exactly what I needed to hear.

I’m looking forward to being that 30-year old Jewish woman (THAT was a great line!).

Congratulations on the early retirement and what sounds like an incredibly fulfilling retired life. I love #6 and #7!! As someone who only heard about the FIRE community a few months ago and is targeting early retirement by 32 (~5 years), this was one of the most motivating things I have read in a while. My career definitely will have a “one more year” temptation, but reading things like this is totally empowering! Thanks for sharing!

I have set a goal of retirement at 50 and am aggressively saving towards that. People think I am crazy and ask me what I will do all day if I retire at that age and my response is always the same, “Whatever I want to do.” Great article and congratulations on early retirement!

I once heard someone say that retirement just amplifies the stuff you already do on your spare time. So if you’re lazy and unproductive you’ll just be even more so, and if you love to learn and be active, you can look forward to doing more of that!

Same thing with winning the lottery too, btw. It usually just enhances the qualities you already have (if you’re greedy you’ll just be more greedy, if you’re generous you’ll be even more generous, etc… At least that’s what people say :) I’ll let you know if I ever experience it myself, haha…)

Wow, this all sounds great – thank you for the inspiring story. I love reading that early retirement is still awesome, even if it’s done in your early 50’s instead of your 30’s or 40’s. Also, it’s interesting to read that people are still so shocked that you’ve retired at that age.

I’m on leave right now due to being pregnant with twins and am really enjoying the extra freedom in my schedule and being able to spend more time with my family. However, it’s not really the retirement I’m envisioning for the future due to my physical limitations. I love how you were able to keep up with your fitness BEFORE retirement, instead of just playing catch up later. Keep living it up!

Congratulations, ESI. What’s most interesting to me is that you surprised yourself. Sometimes we hit our “prime” and are no longer expecting surprises. I think number 10 will have the most effect on you in the long run. Starting the day off early and being productive during the morning has a huge rollover effect.

Great post! I’m looking forward to all ten of those. Also, hiking is the perfect hobby in early retirement. I will certainly check out some of the Colorado peaks. I did the Grand Canyon North to South Rim last year and will attempt to do the reverse direction in 2018 when I’m retired.

Make them go to Grand Canyon! We went a couple of years ago and it was awesome-maybe you can entice them with the mule ride to bottom of the Canyon floor and back which is still on my Bucket list. PS several of your observation resonate with me-I retired recently and I have taken on a very casual fashion style except for Church (sometimes) and other highlights in the week

Thanks for sharing, ESI! I was able to take two weeks off of work near the end of 2016 and was like a mini FIRE-staycation. I’ve hardly been so busy in my LIFE. But the difference is that you’re working on things you actually care about instead of spending energy forcing yourself to care. Passionate living means busy living. ;)

Congratulations! Truly meeting a goal of early retirement is a reward well earned with careful financial planning and perhaps some sacrifice along the way. Can you tell me what you are doing about health insurance? It sounds like your spouse is also unemployed since she is traveling with you multiple times during the year. All the best to you.

I’m actually working on a massive, three-part post on this right now (which will go live sometime in June).

But the punchline is we went with a health sharing ministry, Samaritan Ministries. They have been great, saved us a ton, and covered a medical I had in March with no problem. Couldn’t recommend them more.

Perfection. That’s how I would describe this article. What you describe is essentially my hope and dream in just a few years. I can’t really relate entirely to the C-suite business, but my wife and I do own a small business (her medical practice) so that can be a big job at times.

I find myself daydreaming about retirement as described here, but to be honest I also do find myself worried that I may be giving up a lifestyle (I am a college professor) that is essentially already kinda like pre-retirement — OK, OK . . . keep the jokes to yourself.

How hard of a decision was it to push away and pivot? Just curious . . . any regrets?

I had worked so long and so hard at a high level of business that a big part of me was terrified to stop. And while I have financial resources, there’s always the fear of the unknown and “will I have enough?”

But I had to leave since my boss was a psycho who made life miserable. It was a blessing in disguise because it forced me to take the leap.

It took about a week for me to realize that everything was going to be ok and that the world wasn’t going to crash in on me. That’s when the real fun/enjoyment started.

As for regrets, I have a few. But then again, too few to mention.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist the Sinatra line. :)

Seriously, the only regret I have is that I should have taken the plunge 5 to 10 years earlier.

I absolutely agree with this whole post.
I retired early aged 56, 5 years ago – the best decision I ever made. I also kept getting job opportunities. I said no to all of them, although I did take on a non-exec (unpaid) role at a local university. I agreed to do a 3 year stint, which is nearing completion. Although I have really enjoyed it, I am not going for a second term. Too many other things to do!
The one thing I have been poor at is taking exercise & keeping my weight down. I was great for the first couple of years, then I let tit slide. My aim for 2017 is to get that sorted out!

That’s great you’re not bored in your initial phase. I was anxious the first 6 months, but also found myself saying I was bored too, b/c I like to hang out w/ people, and they all had to work. But 5 years later, I’m no longer bored at all.

My dad retired early (was walked out with a package), but joined boards on his college alma mater, the high school my sister & I went to, his COA, Knights of Columbus. With all the dinner, lunches, planning, his social calendar is more full than mine! He does wear dockers for the important meetings, but because they’re fewer, he doesn’t ask for dress pants for Christmas. White socks for exercising are at least 2x a year because he runs & bikes between all the meetings, plus gardening.
My mom built her own raised bed garden last summer, got roped in to being secretary on her HOA, crafts and volunteers (or gives the crafts to be auctioned off for charity), and is helping a friend out with science lessons.
I have no doubt I’ll get just as busy if / when I retire early. But first… FI! :)
Thanks for sharing your cool experience ESI!

OMG, fitness, sleep and wearing yoga pants daily is my dream!! I love everything you touch on here, as well as the time and headspace to do the small things that seem extravagant when you have a FT job, like having breakfast with a relative.

I think I need to print this out and hang it in my office as a reminder of everything I hope to soon have.

Sounds like things are going really well for you with FIRE! Congrats! In particular, it seems like the extra time you’re able to devote to your wife and kids is really something you can’t put a price tag on.

Great article and so relevant for some things I’m working on with clients. A couple of questions for you. At what age did you decide that early retirement was going to be your aim? Sounds like you had strong discipline from early on. Second, did you consider (or if you could go back would you have considered) transitioning to a career or business earlier that wouldn’t have given you that pit in your stomach feeling every Sunday evening even if it meant that financially you weren’t able to fully walk away at 52? Just curious. Great article and I will look forward to reading more of your stuff.

I always had early retirement in the back of my mind — even from the time I got married in the early 90’s. But at this point I was shooting for 60 as “early”. We paid off our house quickly and it was then I started to think about it more seriously. But we still had other priorities as well, like we wanted to continue giving a good portion of our income to help those in need.

So we made progress in these years but it wasn’t a clear decision to retire early until probably the early 2000’s. By that time my net worth was good and growing and I could see a day where I’d retire early, maybe at 55 or so.

But you’re right, the fact that we had been disciplined for so many years made it a clear possibility.

As for the pit in the stomach issue, here’s how it worked out over the course of a 28-year career:

*I had it for the first 16 years that I worked (over several companies)
*I didn’t have it for 11 years as I worked for two great companies
*I had it again for the last year (and last company I worked for)

So it was that last company that really put me over the edge (my boss was a piece of work, I had the money, and I was done.)

Would I still be working if I had been at one of those two companies where things were great? Maybe, maybe not. It’s hard to tell.

But now that I’m retired would I go back to even a great company? I can’t see doing it. They’d have to pay me a boatload of money, only want 2-3 days a week, and offer some sort of great business/world changing reason for me to even consider it.

I left the corporate world at 39. When I gave my resignation, my co-workers all assumed I was going to another opportunity and when they found out I wasn’t, they were pretty surprised. I don’t like to use the word ‘retire’, so I said I was going to focus more on the real estate investing and personal projects. I have since gone back to work part time, 2-3 days a week, and I take time off between gigs. This is a perfect balance for me and I still experience all the benefits you mentioned… no stress, more movement, less back pain, tons of time for reading and creative pursuits, long term/slow travel… and the best is NO MONDAYS! I used to get the Sunday dreads really bad. That is the worst. When I’m in the office on Thursdays, my co-workers will say “I wish it was Friday” and I tell them: “It’s my Friday!”. They laugh, but also admit that they are envious. :)

That is a fantastic list! I’ve been trying to adopt the mindset of living like I’m retired as a way to achieve more balance during my working years. It’s allowed me to identify many things I want to retire to (rather than just something I want to retire from). The stress and anxiety are what motivates me most about pursuing FI. I want to be able to spend my time in ways that are both meaningful and healthy!

Thanks for sharing your experiences so far with early retirement. And best of luck with Pikes Peak – I was fortunate to spend a summer doing research in Colorado in college and I enjoyed climbing that and a couple other peaks. Cheers!

These are such lovely surprises. Thanks for sharing with us. I wonder if I’ll ever do the “comfortable” clothes in public bit; I really like looking sharp. I don’t know if that is conditioning or truly me…

Congratulations! I’m only 40 so I’m super jealous because I foresee at least another 10 years to go. In reading your article, I’m most surprised that you’re most fit now and that gives me encouragement.

May I suggest an idea… try curling! That’s essentially chess on ice and it’s lots of fun!

Woah that’s awesome ESI! It looks like so much fun and I must admit I’m kind of jealous of #1 and #10 (monday and the fact that you turned into a morning person). I’m definitely neither a monday nor a morning person type, so this is intriguing that all of this can change all of a sudden when retired! Cheers.

I have to admit that hearing that people are busier in retirement than when they are working is always mind blowing to me. Eliminating 8-10 hour work days would make me think that I’d have more time in retirement not less. But over and over again I hear of all the awesome ways people choose to fill up their time in retirement. It’s definitely something I can’t wait to do :)

I truly loved your story. I am in my early 50’s and will be at full retirement in early 2018, and am so…ready for it. I kept telling myself that I might go a couple more years, just to get more things done to my home, but after reading your story, you have convinced me that I WILL be retiring when that time comes (2018). I too have the Monday blues. Thank you for sharing your 10 things of early retirement that you experienced, it was great.

I retired at 55. Really enjoyed your article and can definitely relate to it. Your Monday dread during Sunday afternoon hit it right on the head. Life without wakeup alarms is wonderful. Life with my wife went up another notch of incredibly happy together. After 5 years of retirement I can honestly say this has been the best part of my life so far. Enjoy.

Love your points. I retired 4 years ago at age 56 and have not looked back. I love life, including Sunday nights and Monday mornings, and am grateful every minute for this relaxed, lovely lifestyle. It made every minute of stress and work and sacrifice worth it. Congrats to you ESI for finding your joy (and being smart enough to wait for it)!

Hello and I’m so happy to hear there is happiness outside work. I plan to retire young as well. I’m 56 and I’m a single female. I’m nervous about retiring early because my life path was not quite planned out to be single and starting this phase out alone. I’m nervous I will get bored without any hobbies as work has been my life. You have inspired me to realize there is life after work and stress does go away. I think I can fine plenty of things to do and I hear it’s easy to find plenty to do. thank you for the encouraging words!!!

I am a single female – retired in Dec., 2016 at the age of 58. I don’t miss work at all and love having time for hobbies. I agree and can identify with all ten things on your list. The 3 main things for me were: no alarm clock, no lunches and no night shifts! Also, before I retired I made a list of things I wanted to do but never had the time. For example, learn another language, audit university classes as a “mature” student and declutter my house! Will I ever work again? Not sure. Financially I don’t have to so if the right opportunity came along and it was on my terms (2 or 3 days a week), I might do it for a year. Maybe. The one thing I’ve had to learn is to say “no”. So many people/organizations ask me to volunteer for them and I’m just not ready to jump into anything until I know what my passion is. Life is good!

Thank you for writing this. I retired from the military at 46 to move home and take care of my mother, with a plan that I would resume working when she didn’t need me anymore. While she was alive, people accepted that taking care of her was a full time job. When she died in November, I busied myself with settling her estate and putting her affairs in order. I couldn’t retire on the pension alone, but I saved most of my income during my working life, invested wisely, and never took on debt. Now, the income from my investments plus my pension makes me financially secure and I may never need to touch the principal.

People give me the strangest looks when I tell them that I’m retired, but the longer I’m retired, the less I want to return to work. Your list made me laugh as I ticked off all of the things that applied to me. It’s nice seeing that I’m not alone in my early retirement.

The military has a great retirement plan. My BIL retired after 20 years, worked for 5 more or so outside, and just recently retired full time himself. His wife still works and she makes a great income, so they are doing quite well.

I personally love the strange looks and questions. I look about 10 years younger than I am, so it really knocks people for a loop when I say “I’m retired.” The looks I get are priceless, but it’s their fumbling for their next words that is really fun. :)

I read through all the comments and I’m shocked I didn’t see one like that one. What Mr. Money Mustache refers to as “the retirement police” must not have made it by your site yet.

Anyways:
I believe knowing you have a reasonable amount saved up helps a lot with the reduction in stress. I have a long ways to go to retirement still however am currently financially independent in between learning opportunities. I’ve seen a huge reduction in stress for not being with my prior employer, however I’m certain it would be even greater if I was more comfortable in my current Financial position. Ie I still put a little bit too much effort into doing things that are profitable even if I don’t enjoy doing them.

Great article. I pushed the button last year at 58. I am in engineering and engineerimg management and design for aircraft modifications where you are always in a high stress mode (something goes wrong and people may die type stuff). I realized I needed out at 55 and It took me 3-years for me to work in my replacements with our customer base. I still do not sleep much, but I am much more relaxed. I am actually listed as a part time employee even though I have resisted all calls for a little of my time here and there – my company wants to keep my resume active for proposals ;)

Thanks ESI, for an incredibly encouraging article. I’m 53 and will be retiring when I’m 55. I’m going to save your list for myself so that when it comes time for me take that leap of faith and walk over the edge of the cliff, I’ll do it with a smile on my face. And I’m going to save the list to hand to my friends who already look at me sideways when I talk about retiring early and they ask me what I’m going to be doing with my time.

Congratulations on your hard earned early retirement, ESI! It sounds absolutely dreamy. The dreaded Monday used to ruin my Sunday nights, as well, but something changed recently and I am not feeling that stress creep into my weekend anymore. For one thing, I don’t bring work home on the weekends anymore, which is rare for a teacher. I’m much more productive if I go in early on Monday to make my copies and get organized for the week, rather than try to work on the weekend. My husband and I also started having candlelit pasta dinners on Sunday nights, and that has really made my Sunday nights a lot nicer. It sounds like you have the right balance of relaxation, work (volunteer and blog), and travel to stay mentally stimulated in your retirement. Enjoy the time!

ESI, your experience is very encouraging. I’m 37 and planning to retire in 2 years. I hope to move abroad to Spain or Portugal. That’s the dream. I’ve been saving as much money as possible since I started working and investing it all in diversified index funds. I haven’t told many people of my plans, outside of my closest family, but for those that I have told, the reaction is usually shock, like, “how can that be possible?” I guess most people just don’t understand the power of exponential growth and how critical it is to invest early. I’ve got enough invested now that I can live off 1% or 2% a year and allow it to continue growing.

I should add that I didn’t do things perfectly. The best decision I made in life was to invest heavily starting with my first job out of college. But I owe a mentor for that decision — my father-in-law — who taught me the importance and power of investing from a young age. But I made poor decisions in my 20s too, like wasting money on dumb cars. In our culture, it’s sometimes hard to be smart (frugal) with money. We are bombarded with advertising that promises that happiness is buying more stuff and living larger. What I discovered is that happiness lies in the opposite direction, by freeing yourself from this crazy consumer culture and rat race by reducing your wants and needs. There is true freedom and peace in that. Today, my wife and I share a small car. We hope to live car free in 2 years. I don’t need cable TV or really anything beyond the basic necessities of life. Some would say I must be “suffering” because I’m not indulging every desire. But actually, I’m happier than ever. There’s no stress chasing after dumb things I don’t need and worrying how to pay for them. Instead, there’s a sense of freedom from those petty desires.

Congratulations on your early retirement. I think with anything we can’t really predict once we do get there we can look back only to find out we had it all wrong, missed the mark or got more than expected. It was so nice to wake up and read such an inspirational blog post. Keep on wearing those shorts and jogging pants…. I dream of that day. Mr.CBB

#4 – Though I am playing hockey, skiing, badminton and Tennis as much as I want, I still gained weight due to (I think) less walking around to and from work (quick 45 min both ways) and walking at work, Plus more time to eat more as break. (maybe a little too much time for wine tasting too)

Great article. I retired at 51, am now 56, and have seen what you described first hand. I, too, have gotten to enjoy casual clothes. I remember a lunch with friends (who are still both working) where I described my clothing by saying that the difference is shorts or long pants depending on the weather.

Initially, I was shocked at how hard some people pushed me to get back into a job. This has fallen off, but probably mostly because I repeatedly said no.

Weekends are too crowded and so I try to avoid planning anything for the weekend beyond church and maybe lunch with someone who is busy during the week.

Half-priced movies on Tuesday is awesome and I try to take advantage of it often.

Again, great article. It gives those looking at early retirement a sense of what is possible. Congratulations!

This was a really great article, well written and with great impact. Thanks for creatively blogging, and for your dedicated attention to all the comments so far. I gave up work a year ago with a flourish of overseas work, which was eye opening and brought some great friends, a few of whom we are meeting on vacation in Eastern Europe in a few weeks. However, I no longer miss the work, and only answer headhunter calls just to tickle my self-admiration bone a fit. Every day is full somehow without a long-term plan or schedule. That has left some unused or wasted time, unfortunately, so your story provides encouragement to make and meet goals in a variety of areas, such as health and personal enrichment. I did notice one point you did not explore, that of craft or art. Have you been tempted at all to explore those aspects yet, or is it a possible future endeavor? Thanks again for the blog!

Love this. Great insight and want to follow in your tracks, albeit a few years later. I’m 55 1/2 and am shooting to retire at 58. It’ll only take me 3 seconds to go from button-down Bob to casual Clyde.

Well, that’s a good question and depends on your personality and ways you get things done.

I’m a planner/goal-setter/to-do list guy. So I set a series of resolutions each year, track them on a spreadsheet to hold myself accountable, and have daily tasks to make sure I keep on track. The system works for me because it makes me decide what I want to do, then helps me actually accomplish it.

Not sure if it would work for you. You may want to try some books like Getting Things Done or Living Forward. Those will help you determine priorities and then make them happen.

I’m actually working on a 3-part series on healthcare right now that will run at the beginning of June. The short answer is that we went with a health sharing ministry, Samaritan’s Ministries, and have been very pleased with it so far. I’ll give many details in the posts.

Mortgage? Haven’t had one for 20 years.

Taxes? Our rental properties provide about $60k in income a year. Add in dividends from index funds, some P2P lending, and a bit extra here and there (blog income, etc.) and we make about $100k a year, more than enough to cover our retirement expenses.

That’s intersesting but I think we never really retire. We just find other things to occupy our time. I was in the tech field for 20 years and real estate simultaneously for the last 5 years of my tech career. I won’t be requiring/accepting any SSI benefits or monthy checks from Uncle Sam either. In that time I married twice and raised three children. I retired in Hawaii at the age of 40, and now it’s 7 years later and all my children are out of the house. No grandchildren yet so when/if I get them I guess I’ll have to come out of retirement to work as grandpa. I was in my best shape in my early 30’s but I am still in better shape than many half my age. If anything I appreciate the little things more than ever, things I took for granted when I was working my life away. I’m planning to do a number of years of volunteer or charity work in the future. My parents retired in their early 60’s and yet they seem busier now then ever with grandkids and traveling. Yep, If you’re productive, you never really retire…you just switch gears and never punch a clock again unless it’s self imposed!

Thanks for sharing! I retired at age 60 and couldn’t agree more with the fact that the dreaded Mondays are behind. I often tell anyone willing to listen that this is actually the best time of my life. I get to work out more, learn more , play more guitar, play more chess, travel more with my family, play more with my grand son, help more the underprivileged. Yes it takes money but like you I paid my dues and spent less than I earned now I’m reaping the benefits.

Thanks for sharing!! I semi-retired early as well (50). Semi because I now do some consulting work that way it pays for most of my annual expenses and it leaves my core savings intact. But as you say it’s important to get your budget in order. My lifestyle is almost the same as yours now. Not going to work FT allowed me to greatly improve my health. So now lots of travel, backpacking, mountain climbing, diving, biking, whatever! I can’t imagine going back to FT work.

It’s Monday morning for me —but today I read your post and it made me feel much better. I’m in a similar situation as you (from Iowa, worked my a**off for 30+ years, and ready to put the stress behind). Thanks for sharing your experience of retiring early, it helped me realize that I’m not the only one who thinks of doing this. My only wish is that everyone our age could have the same choice to retire early. I’m grateful.

Your list makes complete sense to me: I had a trial run once, during a period of employment transition, and it shaped up very similarly. I was amazed at how busy I was: my schedule was filled with all kinds of great things, but it was so much eventually that I had to dial it back. It’s incredibly easy for me to stay productive and enjoy life – in fact, I have to watch out or I’ll overload myself, even in retirement!

So cool! What a great article. You’re a good writer – I could just picture your life now.

As an aside, I’d just tell people “I work for a nonprofit to help the homeless”, and put on LinkedIn that your current position is at that organization. Plenty of people work full-time at nonprofits. No need to spread that you’re retired if it just gets you hassle. Tell a truth that people can accept, and it will likely also steer the conversation into something you find interesting.

This made me smile. It’s as if you jumped right into my head and pulled out my experience when I took a year off from the zaniness of the hotel business. Every point was right on.

That said, for as great as my temporary retirement was, it only became that way after going through some serious withdrawals. In fact, I went through a very dark period in the first 90 days or so as I searched for my new “value”. I had completely underestimated how much of my value I had attached to my job and role in the hotel industry. Ironically, I called myself a family man, but found through the process that I was fooling myself. I had placed everything squarely on my career.

Luckily, I came out the other side a completely new person. One that learned that value can only be found in you and your personal relationships. Even though I have since gone back to work (created a tech start up, sold it, and now work for the acquiring company), I put my family and friends first as often as possible.

I read this looking to get some insights and instead just ended up feeling sorry for the author. Worked in a job he hated for TWENTY EIGHT YEARS, hating Mondays, living for the weekend, so he could save enough money to be able to quit?

I was on that path… had a great paying job and the lifestyle that went with it, but after a few years of that “knot in the stomach” on Sunday night, I quit (at 34) to be a full-time entrepreneur again. Now I make more money than I could have ever imagined, I LOVE Mondays, and I LOVE my work.

As I read this article (on Business Insider), I kept thinking to myself… I have all of this and I’m NOT retired. Financially secure. Love Mondays. Busier than ever… yet can still spend time with family and friends and focus on relationships that are important to me. Time to focus on my health. Learning and growing are a priority (I read 2-3 books a month and am constantly learning). And I have no problem showing up to a board meeting casual, either.

I used to have a plan to retire early. 52 was my number – it’s when both of the kids will be out of the house and away at college. I planned on retiring so I could travel the world. I just realized I didn’t need to retire at all… I can do all the things I want to do – like traveling the world – while still running my company. We take 3-4 vacations a year now.

I’m glad the author is happy now in retirement, but I can’t help but think maybe he never found his true purpose in life? What could he have accomplished if he had just found a career that was more fulfilling and rewarding? What if he hadn’t spent 28 years dreading going to work on Monday?

Your article sounds to me to be more of a rationale to support your retirement decision than it is an interesting revelation for your readers. It seems like you are trying to convince yourself that retirement was the right decision. I find the post to lack credibility. Surely there are plenty things about retirement that you have uncovered that are not positive. As a guy who has been temporarily-retired (under 40 y/o) for over a year, I can tell you that it is not all sunshine and puppy dogs.

Your post also makes it seem as though your retirement was driven by an inability to effectively manage/address stress…as if retirement was the only way to eliminate stress. And maybe it was for you. But your readers should know that it is possible for them to achieve the positive things you list, and associate with retirement, without actually retiring.

Many people love Mondays (and they go to jobs)! Maybe you just weren’t in the right line of work.

Thanks for sharing! Your take on Monday’s truly hits home for a lot of folks out there. So much in fact, that I myself had to write a blog to about this a few months back. The cyclical “weekend warrior” attitude is so destructive, ESPECIALLY for those early-in-career. I don’t get why so many are “heads down” on Monday– we should rejoice that we have a chance at another day.

I found this article via someone sharing on LinkedIn and had a similar reaction to Brandon and Skeptical but not so much the feeling sorry for ESI and not sure I understand how it lacks credibility. Also if you read more above, 11 of ESI’s years were not spent dreading work.

Anyway, I recently quit my corporate job after climbing the ladder for about eight years to become an independent contractor and I too am enjoying many of the things ESI and Brandon mention without being retired. My decision was partly due to not enjoying my role/dreading work (for a variety of reasons) and partly due to wanting to spend more time with my young children. Reference the classic tale of the Mexican fisherman for my inspiration. Basically my idea is rather than working so hard (possibly at something you don’t love, thus causing burnout) for a lot of years only to dramatically slow or stop your income, earn at a slightly more modest rate for more years but infuse more of the work life balance over that period.

I think it is great that you made the move, ESI and loved your article and your positive attitude. 52 is still young today and you have a long life to live in your new mindset. I just think we need a different word than retirement as it has a connotation of sitting around reading the newspaper and taking a mid-day nap. You may be able to do that, but you are clearly not retired in the same sense. You just don’t work a “regular job” anymore and you don’t earn much, yet.

I feel I’m the same way but being much younger I do still have some financial targets I have to meet with my work. Kudos to you for all your hard work and discipline. Thanks for sharing!

I am seriously considering early retirement and your post depicts it the way I envision it. I have a well-paying job, recent promotion etc. But, I feel that I am ready to pursue the things that I actually enjoy doing – squash, tennis, blogging, travel… My wife aside, I have not found too many people who think that it is a good idea.

In my opinion, if you have “enough” money, you should go for it, I will.

Congrats on the early retirement. It sounds like you’ve also struck the right balance of priorities in achieving the fulfillment you now own.
Would you be able to share the reading plan you developed for your son to help him discover what career he wants?

ESI, In the same boat as you – early retired last year at 53 (DW also retired) – no pension, so living off our accumulated assets. My experience has been EXACTLY the same as yours. So similar in fact that the article could have come from me!

To the naysayers out there, I actually enjoyed my job – very much. Was a C-suite level executive for a long time, with lots of responsibility and working with great and really smart people. For the most part, I enjoyed going to work. However, being retired is SO much better, in every way. It has far exceeded my every expectation. Wife and I will have taken six vacations this year and plan to do six to seven trips every year, indefinitely.

Like you I “look forward” to getting up in the mornings. No more alarm clock waking me up and dragging my tired butt out of bed. I truly look forward to what the day will bring and finding out what happened in the world while I was sleeping. I also much prefer weekdays to weekends (for the same reasons as you do).

I would say the biggest two surprises for me in retirement are first that I NEVER, EVER think about work – what I used to do, or what I would be doing now if I were still working, or what my former colleagues and friends might be doing at any particular time. It’s almost as if I have never worked a day in my life. Just don’t think about it, ever. Second, I am NOT bored at all. This was a big worry for me and I thought I’d probably do some sort of consulting in retirement. Not going to happen. ZERO interest in working in any capacity – having to do something for someone else on their timeframe. I do what I want, when I want, how I want and where I want. I do not do anything I don’t want to do nor do things at a time I don’t want to do them. It is incredibly liberating.

that’s pretty amazing!! I would have never guessed that, and is something I feel like I’d struggle with if I were to pull the plug myself right now. (I can’t because I’m not FIREd yet as y’all are, but with having an internet job nothing ever sleeps so makes me worried :))

Disclaimer

I, J. Money, only claim the thoughts from my head. I am not a banker, CPA, money manager or anything else of that sort. Please seek a professional for any "real" advice. More info: privacy & disclosure page